Usagi's life has been unusually quiet, but with the sudden appearance of a mysterious stranger and a warning from the future, she is forced to figure out the mystery of her past and her true destiny before an enemy from before time destroys them all.

Who'er she be,
That not impossible she
That shall command my heart and me;
Where'er she lie,
Look'd up from mortal eye,
In shady leaves of destiny.
Richard Crashaw

The night air was cool and damp, heavy with a thick mist, and a soft breeze gently swept through the trees as he slowly made his way through the park. One step, two, three... with each step his heart grew heavier, yet pulled him closer to his destiny. A destiny that may never be fulfilled because of the cruel trick Fate had been playing on him. Fate liked to play with people's lives: it was a favorite game, and he had been a victim for so long.

His life was long and meaningless, and would continue to be so until he found the One he was looking for. The One. Ahhh... A small smile blossomed upon his lips. The One whose light could bring an end to the eternal darkness he lived with. The One whose face had been on his mind constantly, tormenting him by daylight and filtering through his dreams at night when he had the rare chance to sleep.

The silver moon was sparkling in a glorious night, but to him it was just like any other. One more night to live out his lonely existence. That was a laugh, pondering existence. Normal existence was easy: birth, life and then death. But for him, it was a little more complicated; he was born and he lived, only to keep on living. One horrid day he had stopped aging and was forever trapped in the body of a young man. But he didn't want to think about that day... or its consequences.

He sighed. Back then, he had hoped to marry his lady, live a wonderfully pampered life and be remembered as a great man after his death, but Time had other plans for him. He had no hopes anymore... what was hope but the fervent belief that one's life would be better someday, when he knew his never would?

On a bench several yards ahead, a pair of lovers were embracing. He paused and watched as the male whispered something in the girl's ear and she giggled at whatever marvelously clever thing he had said. They leaned in to seal the moment with a kiss and without another glance, the lone stranger continued on his way.

Love was another misconception. Everyone placed it so high on a pedestal, but in his experience it never lasted. Sadly, he knew the rules of love and had played the game before. He knew how precious and fragile it could be; how it could suffocate with its sweetness and leave the victim on his last gasping breath, afraid to let go, for death would surely follow. But as beautiful and life-consuming as it is for a moment in time, it is just as easily ripped away as embraced, leaving a cold unfeeling shell as the product of deception.

Such morbid thoughts... he gave himself a mental shake in order to clear his head and focus on his mission. He knew what he must do; he had known for a long time now. When the whispered words ran rampant through his mind, there was little time for his heart to cry out for the life he could have known.

Anyway, he had a feeling about this place, as if his drifting soul had found an anchor and grabbed hold. Perhaps here he could find the answer to his dreams. He leaned back against a blooming sakura tree and gazed out at the crystal lake, his mind calm for the first time in weeks.

He was positive he would find what he was looking for.

Hi all. This was my first fanfic, and thus I have such a love for it that it's insane. I first wrote it when I was a sophomore and junior in high school and for a while it was on another fanfic site before I took it down. But now since I'm writing again, I thought I might as well put it back up with the newer fics. I'm trying to keep it as unaltered as possible, with a couple tweaks here and there to fix cultural inaccuracies and other things my silly 15 year old mind thought were a good idea at the time.

Anyway, I really enjoyed writing it and am possibly having even more fun revising it. I hope you enjoy it, too! Let me know what you think. More notes to follow, plus a sequel and a prequel (already written, as well), but I'll try not to overdo it. Peace.

PoW

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